A Collin County jury has sentenced Vanessa Esquivel to 25 years in state prison for murder. The conviction follows the death of her 15-month-old child, who was left inside a vehicle in Frisco. Frisco is located approximately 12 miles northwest of Plano.
Esquivel, 28, of Dallas, was arrested in August 2025. Police reports indicate she arrived at her workplace on the 3200 block of Preston Road around 2 p.m. on the day in question. Authorities stated she intentionally left the child in the car after arriving at the job site.
According to the Frisco Police Department, the toddler remained in the vehicle for roughly two hours. The car had no air conditioning running during that time. Police noted that the temperature that day reached at least 95 degrees. The child died as a result of the exposure.
Esquivel entered a plea of not guilty to the charges. A jury reviewed the evidence and returned a guilty verdict on June 18. The same jury determined the sentence length during the proceedings.
